Boys regional final soccer: Pine Ridge, Taylor still alive

Published: Monday, February 4, 2013 at 12:37 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at 1:37 a.m.

REGION 2-4A FINAL

Lutz Steinbrenner at Pine Ridge

When: 7 tonight

Of Note: This is the first trip to the regional finals for both teams. On paper, neither was expected to make it out of its district. Steinbrenner was a No. 6 seed in the District 8 tournament and Pine Ridge was a No. 4 seed in District 5.

Outlook: One of the hottest offenses will clash with one of the hottest defenses. The Warriors (17-2-3) have outscored their last three opponents 18-2. Meanwhile, the Panthers (23-5) have allowed just two goals in their last four games — and only one goal on four shots in a penalty kick shootout — all to Seabreeze.

Next: Winner faces the Niceville-Ocala Forest winner in the state semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday.

REGION 2-2A FINAL

Taylor at Orlando Lake Highland Prep

When: 7 p.m. tonight

Of Note: Lake Highland Prep has been a staple in the state semifinals, with five appearances since 2006. The Highlanders won one of those five but lost to Fort Lauderdale University 1-0 and 9-8 on penalty kicks in the 2011 state championship game. Last season, they lost in the regional quarterfinals to eventual state champion Melbourne West Shore. Taylor earned a berth in the regional finals last season. Ironically, the Wildcats also lost to West Shore, 5-1.

Outlook: Both are hot right now, but Lake Highland Prep gets the nod for recent deep postseason success. The Wildcats' only hiccup in the playoffs was a 3-2 loss to Crescent City in the district finals on an own-goal. Otherwise, the Wildcats (14-6-2) have been solid on both sides of the ball. The Highlanders (17-3-2) disposed of possibly the most tradition-rich program in the state (31 tournament appearances) in Bishop Moore 1-0 and 4-3 on penalty kicks in the regional semifinals.

Next: Winner faces the Pensacola Catholic-Jacksonville Bolles winner in the state semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday.

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